


Roll With the Punches

by zap_said_the_lady



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, I'm kind of just rolling with it, Not much pairings so far, Roller Derby AU, They might be coming up, hell if i know, pun intended
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-24
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-24 11:56:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8371423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zap_said_the_lady/pseuds/zap_said_the_lady
Summary: Marinette usually thinks things through, except she didn't have the time to. Ladybug however, doesn't need to plan ahead of time. She takes in whats going on and works from there.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of my (kwami-mami on tumblr) most recent AU idea. I'm writing short chapters first for each character. I'd love to hear from yall! <3

Rose and Juleka met the first year they took roller skating lessons together. Chloe had Sabrina take ice skating lessons with her because she ‘couldn’t be friends with someone _that_ clumsy’ when really she just wanted a friend. Alix learned how to roller blade before she learned how to walk. Not really but that’s what everyone says. Mylene used to be a roller hockey goalie. Alya used to surf, but when she was knocked unconscious by her board and almost drowned she switched.

Marinette though, this was her life. She had basically spent her life on this track bouncing from team to team. Each time she was kicked off, it was cause she was ‘too nice.’

Since when was it bad to be nice, she’ll never know. But she supposed if she wanted to be nice then she was in the wrong sport. It didn’t matter. She enjoyed it.

But did she enjoy it enough to form her own team? The girls that she knew would be able to skate and that she thought would be willing to help her out were all sitting in front of her. Seven other girls; two ice skaters (that kind of hated her), a surfer, a hockey goalie, and then three actual skaters. And only one of those would be okay with what roller derby would entail. It was just barely enough to form a team.

It was amazing that she got seven to begin with. Marinette was expecting five. She figured Chloe wouldn’t come but if she didn’t extend the invite then she never would have heard the end of it. And no Chloe meant no Sabrina, but there they were, pretending to be completely bored out of their minds.

“So you want us to skate around a track, and hit people?” Chloe asked.

Marinette stumbled. Broken down like that, it was a pretty tall task she was asking of them. She couldn’t see Rose, Juleka, Mylene or Sabrina hitting anyone. So that left three people, one of whom was told she was too nice to be on a roller derby team.

“Sounds good to me!” 

At least Alix was willing to do it. Marinette could tell by the look in Alya’s eye that she needed a way to get out her recent aggression with her boyfriend in a healthier way than passive aggressively starting fights with him.

“There’s more to it than just hitting people. It’s strategy. We need a few tough people, a few fast skaters, and a few that are good at dodging and blocking.” Put like that, Marinette was actually feeling confident about her team.

The next meet was only a few days away so all Marinette had time to show them was a few plans she had made and some formations.

 

Marinette didn’t even have time to write their team name on the shirts. She didn’t even have time to get shorts for everyone. All she gave them were black shirts and told them to bring any color shorts they wanted. The worst part was by far getting Chloe to wear a helmet. Eventually Alya’s surfing horror stories get her to wear one though.

“So, how are we feeling?” Marinette asked in the locker room right before they went out.

“Like I’m about to die.” She gave Juleka props for honesty.

Alya clapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, girlie. Just stick to Mari’s plans and we’ll be fine. You leave the baddies to me and Alix!”

“Let’s do this!” Alix joined in, trying to get the group pumped.

Marinette nodded. “As long as we stick to the plans, everything will be fine.” Then she put her hand out in front of her and waited for the others to join her. It took a second, but once Alya placed her hand on top, the rest of the girls joined in. With a groan, Chloe placed her hand on top. “Everyone, on the count of three: Akura!”

“What does that even mean?” Chloe whined.

“It means powerful and complete,” Marinette said, defending her choice in team name. She thought it sounded good.

“Why do you get to pick the team name?”

“Chloe do you want the trophy or not?”

“Ugh fine.”

 

The girls lined up behind Marinette at the entrance waiting to be announced in. She could sense the nerves coming off of them. She was even nervous. Shifting her weight back and forth on her skates she went over the plans and formations in her head. She was leading this one, she was calling out the plans, she was holding the group together. If she got distracted and lost focus, they could get hurt pretty bad and she did not want to deal with that.

Maybe her other teams were right. Maybe she was too nice.

No. That was not something she would worry about now.

Marinette sighed and tightened her pigtails. It was a risk having pigtails alone, but she had tied long red ribbons from them. The best she could do was hope her teammates had her back and wouldn’t let anyone grab them.

Outside the door, they could hear the current meet happening. There was a loud thud and a collective groan from the audience. Someone had fallen and hit something.

“Looks like Rolly Smokes is getting a little _skittish_!”

Marinette groaned. It had to be the commentator that made puns tonight? Hopefully it wouldn’t be an omen for what was to come.

 

“In a surprise turn of events, Rolly Smokes takes it!”

Marinette turned back to the girls. “Okay guys, here we go! Make sure you pay attention and watch for my signals!”

“Up next on the rink is… AKUMA!”

“Is that supposed to be us?” Juleka asked.

“That is _not_ what I wrote down!”

“Way to go Mari, I told you you should have let me fill out the slip!”

“Just go already!” Chloe pushed Marinette into the door, throwing it open. 

“For those of you just joining us, Chat Noir is here, not the hero you need, but the one you deserve! Oh and look at this folks! The little foster girl of the PRDA is leading a team out onto the rink! Could this mean she finally has a team of her own?”

Why everyone had started calling Marinette that, she would never know. She would have much preferred something a little more ‘roller derby’ like Kiss of Death or something. A name she could bring with her to a new team. Instead, everyone knew her as the ‘little foster girl.’ That was going to end. She was going to make a name for herself. Something more than just the girl that got bounced around from team to team cause no one wanted her.

Her team skated around the track and ended at the starting line along side their opponents. They may have looked mean and ready to kill, but Marinette’s confidence didn’t waver. She had a plan. A strategy that she had been itching to use for a while now.

“On your marks!” Chat Noir shouted into his microphone.

“Hope someone’s here to pick up your body, foster girl.”

“Get set!”

Marinette locked eyes with the her. “I have plenty of people waiting to cary us out on their shoulders once we win. Thanks for the concern.” Marinette looked forward again, more ready than ever.

“GO!”

She had already called the first play while Chat Noir was calling the start. The girls closed around Rose and Sabrina, with Alix and Alya between them and the majority of the other team. Marinette was at the front leading the group, Chloe was behind her, and Juleka and Mylene brought up the rear.

As soon as the other team made its first move to try to shoulder check Alix, Chloe pushed off to her left and tripped one of the front most girls, taking out one more with her. Alix pushed back and took one out on her own,

“What’s this guys? Looks like the Akumas know how to fight!”

“That’s not our name!” Marinette snarled.

The first lap passed almost too quickly. There were only two left and Marinette knew they still had plenty of other tricks up their sleeves. Just as she was about to call the next formation there was a thud she wasn’t expecting. Taking a chance, Marinette turned around to see Juleka on the ground. She popped up quickly, but she was too far behind for Marinette to even make the next call. She needed Juleka closer to the front for it to work.

“What’s the matter little foster baby? The Island of Misfit Skaters didn’t pull through for you?”

Marinette didn’t answer. She had too much to worry about without trying to think of a come back on top of it. Changing the plan on the fly, she gave Alya and Alix the okay to just bash and shoulder check. It bought them some time, but the other team took that as a chance to go for Rose and Sabrina too. 

Sabrina was a lot more aware than Marinette was expecting. She switched places quickly with Rose and gracefully jumped out of the way of two larger girls coming for them.

“Are my eyes mistaking me or was that a toe loop? Looks like the Akumas are living up to their name!” Chat Noir cheered.

Two laps down and one to go. Now Marinette was getting antsy. She wanted to be in their third formation at this point, but they just broke out of the first. She looked over her shoulder. They had literally _broken_ out of it. Her girls were everywhere behind her.

“There’s a turn coming up Marinette! Jeez you talk big about how you’re going to help us win and keep us as safe as possible and you almost skate right off the track!” Chloe complained in her ear.

“Maybe you should hang back and trip some more girls. Only one of us has to cross the finish line first to win,” Marinette suggested.

“And why should you get all the glory?”

“Fine, stay close then. I don’t care. Just don’t let anyone take me down intentionally so you can be the one to win it.”

The girl that was all talk was closing in on them. She was a fast skater, probably saving her energy for this last lap.

“She’s closing in, Marinette,” Chloe whined.

“Just keep your pace. After the last turn, make a sprint for the line. She can’t take us both out at once.”

Chloe was silent for a second and then whispered, “Only one of us has to cross the line to win, right?”

Marinette glanced over. “What are you planning?”

As they came around the curve, Chloe grabbed Marinette’s hand with both of hers and threw her as hard as she could, catapulting her down the last straight towards the end. She had just enough speed to cross the finish line seconds before the opposing team.

The crowd roared.

“Oh my God! They did it! The Akumas won! She did it folks! Our little Pigtailed Princess has crossed the finish line sealing the win for her team! Is it just me or does that red and black combo remind anyone else of a ladybug? Cause apparently she’s got the lucky part down!”

 

Back in the locker room, they girls were cheering. Even Juleka, who’s tights were torn up from her fall was smiling.

“Well, I hope you know that next time it will be different Marinette. Next time I’ll be the one crossing the finish line,” Chloe sneered. It was obvious she was just as happy as the rest of them, but she was trying to hide it to keep up her ‘image.’

They changed back into their shoes and walked out together, as a team.

“So, I guess we’re the Akumas now,” Alya said throwing her arm over Marinette’s shoulders.

“I wonder what an Akuma is,” she responded giggling.


End file.
